Gronkowski ramps up his workload in practice

FOXBORO – When Rob Gronkowski stepped out on the Gillette Stadium practice fields on Monday, he entered the huddle with Tom Brady during full-team drills for the first time this year. As the All-Pro tight end stepped to the line of scrimmage during B

FOXBORO – When Rob Gronkowski stepped out on the Gillette Stadium practice fields on Monday, he entered the huddle with Tom Brady during full-team drills for the first time this year. As the All-Pro tight end stepped to the line of scrimmage during Brady’s fourth and final set of 11-on-11’s, it didn’t take the quarterback long to look his way.

As Dan Connolly snapped Brady the ball, on the first play, the future Hall of Famer immediately looked to Gronkowski and hit the 6-foot-6, game-changing, 25-year-old over the middle. Then on the third play, Brady once again completed a pass to Gronkowski.

Brady attempted 17 passes during 11-on-11 drills on Monday, but those two plays were giant step in the right direction for Gronkowski and the Patriots’ offense. The team’s boisterous tight end remains one of the biggest keys to the season andMonday was a major step in the right direction.

“It’s definitely huge to get going,” Gronkowski said. “I’ve been working with Tom since I’ve been out there, but we haven’t been doing it verse the defense or anything. It was good to be right out there and ‘boom’ –it was just like it was never missed before. He hit me.”

Gronkowski admitted he still has a ways to go before he gets into a game, but is hoping to take another step as early as Tuesday in practice. He said he still needs to get more repetitions during full-team drills and then hopes to start blocking against the defense. Part of his progress is also about conditioning.

It’s one thing to be running routes on his own, but it’s another to sprint down the field, catch a pass and then run back to huddle and do it all over again.

“It’s different running a route 20 yards down the field and running back to the huddle,” Gronkowski said. “You know Tom, always trying to get to the next play. You can always work on it and have to work on it every single day.”

Monday’s practice, which was the last public and open session of the season, saw Gronkowski do more than he has all year. Though the tight end’s been present since training camp started, he only worked on individual drills and one-on-one work with Brady. Monday, he participated in 7-on-7 drills for the first time, catching four passes (two from Brady and two from Ryan Mallett).

Nearly every day in training camp, Gronkowski’s had a side session with Brady andMonday was no different. The tight end said that the extra work with Brady prepared him for those moments in 11-on-11’s.

“It’s huge. You just can’t jump right into 11-on-11 action,” Gronkowski said. “You’ve got to do 1-on-1’s, get your body acclimated, getting your legs underneath you all before that. That’s why it’s always good doing everything I was doing leading up to it so when I went out there today, I feel like I was prepared and ready to go.”

There is rust there, however.

During one of the 7-on-7 receptions, Gronkowski caught the ball near the right sideline. As he came down with the catch, rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler swatted the ball out of his hands for a forced fumble.

“He made a great play, but on my behalf, I’ve got to tuck that ball in and not let him do that,” Gronkowski said. “Just a little rust got to get knocked off and keep on working every day so things like that don’t happen.”

Gronkowski’s participation level combined with the limited return of fellow tight end Michael Hoomanawanui on Monday is a great sign for a Patriots team that severely lacks depth at their tight end position. During Friday’s game against Philadelphia, the team was without Gronkowski, Hoomanawanui and D.J. Williams. That left Steve Maneri as the only Patriots tight end available.

Gronkowski’s been adamant that he and the organization have been on the same page during this year’s rehabilitation process. It was a positive sign when he wasn’t on the physically unable to perform list to start training camp and Monday brought about more encouragement. But now the next step is seeing action in a game.

He’s not there yet, but even Gronkowski will admit that those two receptions are step in the right direction.

“It felt good. It wasn’t like full contact or anything, it was just a little routes and stuff, but feeling good,” Gronkowski said. “Progressed a lot out there, running routes against the defense and everything. Overall I just feel good to be back out there with my teammates and competing. It’s a lot different competing verses someone else. It’s great to get back out there and it’s great to get back in form.”